Refrigerating system with parallel staged economizer circuits and a single or two stage main compressor

ABSTRACT

A refrigeration system ( 20 A) comprises an evaporator ( 27 ), a plurality of compressors ( 32, 34, 35 ) for compressing a refrigerant, a heat rejecting heat exchanger ( 24 ) for cooling the refrigerant, and a plurality of economizer heat exchangers ( 28 A,  28 B). Each of the economizer heat exchangers ( 28 A,  28 B) is configured to inject a portion of the refrigerant into a suction port ( 52, 56 ) of one of the compressors ( 34, 35 ).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to refrigerating systems usedfor cooling. More particularly, the present invention relates to arefrigerating system that incorporates economizer circuits to increasesystem efficiency.

A typical refrigerating system includes an evaporator, a compressor, acondenser, and a throttle valve. A refrigerant, such as ahydrofluorocarbon (HFC), typically enters the evaporator as a two-phaseliquid-vapor mixture. Within the evaporator, the liquid portion of therefrigerant changes phase from liquid to vapor as a result of heattransfer into the refrigerant. The refrigerant is then compressed withinthe compressor, thereby increasing the pressure of the refrigerant.Next, the refrigerant passes through the condenser, where it changesphase from a vapor to a liquid as it cools within the condenser.Finally, the refrigerant expands as it flows through the throttle valve,which results in a decrease in pressure and a change in phase from aliquid to a two-phase liquid-vapor mixture.

While natural refrigerants such as carbon dioxide have recently beenproposed as alternatives to the presently used HFCs, the high sidepressure of carbon dioxide typically ends up in the supercritical regionwhere there is no transition from vapor to liquid as the high pressurerefrigerant is cooled. For a typical single stage vapor compressioncycle, this leads to poor efficiency due to the loss of the subcriticalconstant temperature condensation process and to the relatively highresidual enthalpy of supercritical carbon dioxide at normal high sidetemperatures.

Thus, there exists a need for a refrigerating system that is capable ofutilizing any refrigerant, including a transcritical refrigerant, whilemaintaining a high level of system efficiency.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a refrigeration system comprising anevaporator, a plurality of compressors for compressing a refrigerant, aheat rejecting heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant, and aplurality of economizer heat exchangers. Each of the economizer heatexchangers is configured to inject a portion of the refrigerant into asuction port of one of the compressors.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic diagram of a refrigeration systememploying a pair of economizer circuits.

FIG. 1B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic diagram of a refrigeration systememploying three economizer circuits.

FIG. 2B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system of FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A illustrates a schematic diagram of a refrigeration systememploying four economizer circuits.

FIG. 3B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system of FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4A illustrates a schematic diagram of a refrigeration systememploying five economizer circuits.

FIG. 4B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system of FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5A illustrates a schematic diagram of a second embodiment of arefrigeration system employing a pair of economizer circuits.

FIG. 5B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system of FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment ofthe refrigeration system of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of another embodiment of therefrigeration system of FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1A illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20A,which includes compressor unit 22, heat rejecting heat exchanger 24,first economizer circuit 25A, second economizer circuit 25B, mainexpansion valve 26, evaporator 27, and sensor 31. First economizercircuit 25A includes first economizer heat exchanger 28A, expansionvalve 30A, and sensor 31A, while second economizer circuit 25B includessecond economizer heat exchanger 28B, expansion valve 30B, and sensor31B. As shown in FIG. 1A, first economizer heat exchanger 28A and secondeconomizer heat exchanger 28B are parallel flow tube-in-tube heatexchangers.

Compressor unit 22 includes two-stage compressor 32, single-stagecompressor 34, and single-stage compressor 35. Two-stage compressor 32includes cylinders 36A and 36B connected in series, single-stagecompressor 34 includes cylinder 36C, and single-stage compressor 35includes cylinder 36D. Two-stage compressor 32, single-stage compressor34, and single-stage compressor 35 may be stand-alone compressor units,or they may be part of a single, multi-cylinder compressor unit. Inaddition, two-stage compressor 32, single-stage compressor 34, andsingle-stage compressor 35 are preferably reciprocating compressors,although other types of compressors may be used including, but notlimited to, scroll, screw, rotary vane, standing vane, variable speed,hermetically sealed, and open drive compressors.

In refrigeration system 20A, three distinct refrigerant paths are formedby connection of the various elements in the system. A main refrigerantpath is defined by the route between points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Afirst economized refrigerant path is defined by the route between points5A, 6A, 7A, and 8A. Finally, a second economized refrigerant path isdefined by the route between points 5B, 6B, 7B, and 8B. It should beunderstood that the paths are all closed paths that allow for continuousflow of refrigerant through refrigeration system 20A.

In reference to the main refrigerant path, after refrigerant exitstwo-stage compressor 32 at high pressure and enthalpy through dischargeport 39 (point 4), the refrigerant loses heat in heat rejecting heatexchanger 24, exiting heat rejecting heat exchanger 24 at low enthalpyand high pressure (point 5A). The refrigerant then splits into two flowpaths 40A and 42A prior to entering first economizer heat exchanger 28A.The main path continues along paths 40A and 40B through first economizerheat exchanger 28A (point 5B) and second economizer heat exchanger 28B(point 5), respectively. As the refrigerant in path 40A flows throughfirst economizer heat exchanger 28A, it is cooled by the refrigerant inpath 42A of the first economized path. Similarly, as the refrigerant inpath 40B flows through second economizer heat exchanger 28B, it iscooled by the refrigerant in path 42B of the second economized path.Refrigerant from path 40B is then throttled in main expansion valve 26.Main expansion valve 26, along with economizer expansion valves 30A and30B, are preferably thermal expansion valves (TXV) or electronicexpansion valves (EXV). After going through an expansion process withinmain expansion valve 26 (point 6), the refrigerant is a two-phaseliquid-vapor mixture and is directed toward evaporator 27. Afterevaporation of the remainder of the liquid (point 1), the refrigerantenters two-stage compressor 32 through suction port 37. The refrigerantis compressed within cylinder 36A, which is the first stage of two-stagecompressor 32, and is then directed out discharge port 50 (point 2),where it flows through intercooler 48 prior to a second stage ofcompression in cylinder 36B. Intercooler 48 is configured to cool downthe refrigerant discharged from cylinder 36A prior to the second stageof compression within cylinder 36B. After the second stage ofcompression, the refrigerant is discharged through discharge port 39(point 4).

In reference to the first economized path, after refrigerant exits heatrejecting heat exchanger 24 at low enthalpy and high pressure (point 5A)and splits into two flow paths 40A and 42A, the first economized pathcontinues along path 42A. In path 42A, the refrigerant is throttled to alower pressure by economizer expansion valve 30A (point 6A) prior toflowing through first economizer heat exchanger 28A. The refrigerantfrom path 42A that flowed through first economizer heat exchanger 28A(point 7A) is then directed along economizer return path 46A andinjected into suction port 52 of single-stage compressor 34 forcompression in single-stage compressor 34. After compression withinsingle-stage compressor 34, the refrigerant is discharged throughdischarge port 54 (point 8A) where it merges with the refrigerantdischarged from two-stage compressor 32 and single-stage compressor 35.

In reference to the second economized path, after being cooled in thehigher pressure first economizer heat exchanger 28A (point 5B), therefrigerant in path 40A splits into two flow paths 40B and 42B. Thesecond economized path continues along flow path 42B where therefrigerant is throttled to a lower pressure by economizer expansionvalve 30B (point 6B) prior to flowing through second economizer heatexchanger 28B. The refrigerant from path 42B that flowed through secondeconomizer heat exchanger 28B (point 7B) is then directed alongeconomizer return path 46B and injected into suction port 56 ofsingle-stage compressor 35 for compression in single-stage compressor35. After compression within single-stage compressor 35, the refrigerantis discharged through discharge port 58 (point 8B) where it merges withthe refrigerant discharged from two-stage compressor 32 and single-stagecompressor 34.

Refrigeration system 20A also includes sensor 31 disposed betweenevaporator 27 and compressor unit 22 along the main refrigerant path. Ingeneral, sensor 31 acts with expansion valve 26 to sense the temperatureof the refrigerant leaving evaporator 27 and the pressure of therefrigerant in evaporator 27 to regulate the flow of refrigerant intoevaporator 27 to keep the combination of temperature and pressure withinsome specified bounds. In a preferred embodiment, expansion valve 26 isan electronic expansion valve and sensor 31 is a temperature transducersuch as a thermocouple or thermistor. In another embodiment, expansionvalve 26 is a mechanical thermal expansion valve and sensor 31 includesa small tube that terminates in a pressure vessel filled with arefrigerant that differs from the refrigerant running throughrefrigeration system 20A. As refrigerant from evaporator 27 flows pastsensor 31 on its way toward compressor unit 22, the pressure vessel willeither heat up or cool down, thereby changing the pressure within thepressure vessel. As the pressure in the pressure vessel changes, sensor31 sends a signal to expansion valve 26 to modify the pressure dropcaused by the valve. Similarly, in the case of the electronic expansionvalve, sensor 31 sends an electrical signal to expansion valve 26 whichresponds in a similar manner to regulate refrigerant flow. For example,if a return gas coming from evaporator 27 is too hot, sensor 31 willthen heat up and send a signal to expansion valve 26, causing the valveto open further and allow more refrigerant per unit time to flow throughevaporator 27, thereby reducing the heat of the refrigerant exitingevaporator 27.

Economizer circuits 25A and 25B also include sensors 31A and 31B,respectively, that operate in a similar manner to sensor 31. However,sensors 31A and 31B sense temperature along economizer return paths 46Aand 46B and act with expansion valves 30A and 30B to control thepressure drops within expansion valves 30A and 30B instead. It shouldalso be noted that various other sensors may be substituted for sensors31, 31A, and 31B without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

By controlling the expansion valves 26, 30A, and 30B, the operation ofrefrigeration system 20A can be adjusted to meet the cooling demands andachieve optimum efficiency. In addition to adjusting the pressuresassociated with expansion valves 26, 30A, and 30B, the displacements ofcylinders 36A, 36B, 36C, and 36D may also be adjusted to help achieveoptimum efficiency of refrigeration system 20A.

FIG. 1B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system 20A of FIG. 1A. Vapor dome V is formed by asaturated liquid line and a saturated vapor line, and defines the stateof the refrigerant at various points along the refrigeration cycle.Underneath vapor dome V, all states involve both liquid and vaporcoexisting at the same time. At the very top of vapor dome V is thecritical point. The critical point is defined by the highest pressurewhere saturated liquid and saturated vapor coexist. In general,compressed liquids are located to the left of vapor dome V, whilesuperheated vapors are located to the right of vapor dome V.

In FIG. 1B, the main refrigerant path is defined by the route betweenpoints 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; the first economized path is defined by theroute between points 5A, 6A, 7A, and 8A; and the second economized pathis defined by the route between points 5B, 6B, 7B, and 8B. The cyclebegins in the main path at point 1, where the refrigerant is at a lowpressure and high enthalpy prior to entering compressor unit 22. After afirst stage of compression within cylinder 36A of two-stage compressor32, both the enthalpy and pressure increase as shown by point 2. Next,the refrigerant is cooled down as it flows through intercooler 48, asshown by point 3. After a second stage of compression within cylinder36B, the refrigerant exits compressor unit 22 at high pressure and evenhigher enthalpy, as shown by point 4. Then, as the refrigerant flowsthrough heat rejecting heat exchanger 24, enthalpy decreases whilepressure remains constant. Prior to entering first economizer heatexchanger 28A, the refrigerant splits into a main portion and a firsteconomized portion as shown by point 5A. Similarly, prior to enteringsecond economizer heat exchanger 28B, a second economized portion isdiverted from the main portion as shown by point 5B. The first andsecond economized portions will be discussed in more detail below. Themain portion is then throttled in main expansion valve 26, decreasingpressure as shown by point 6. Finally, the main portion of therefrigerant is evaporated, exiting evaporator 27 at a higher enthalpy asshown by point 1.

As stated previously, the first economized portion splits off of themain portion as indicated by point 5A. The first economized portion isthrottled to a lower pressure in expansion valve 30A as shown by point6A. The first economized portion of the refrigerant then exchanges heatwith the main portion in first economizer heat exchanger 28A, coolingdown the main portion of the refrigerant as indicated by point 5B, andheating up the first economized portion of the refrigerant as indicatedby point 7A. The first economized portion is then compressed withinsingle-stage compressor 34 and merged with the refrigerant dischargedfrom two-stage compressor 32 and single-stage compressor 35, as shown bypoint 8A.

As stated previously, the second economized portion splits off of themain portion as indicated by point 5B. The second economized portion isthrottled to a lower pressure in expansion valve 30B as shown by point6B. The second economized portion of the refrigerant then exchanges heatwith the main portion within second economizer heat exchanger 28B,cooling down the main portion of the refrigerant to its lowesttemperature as indicated by point 5, and heating up the secondeconomized portion of the refrigerant as indicated by point 7B. Thesecond economized portion is then compressed within single-stagecompressor 35 and merged with the refrigerant discharged from two-stagecompressor 32 and single-stage compressor 34, as shown by point 8B.

In a refrigeration system, the specific cooling capacity, which is themeasure of total cooling capacity divided by refrigerant mass flow, maytypically be represented on a graph relating pressure to enthalpy by thelength of the evaporation line. Furthermore, when the specific coolingcapacity is divided by the specific power input to the compressor, theresult is the system efficiency. In general, a high specific coolingcapacity achieved by inputting a low specific power to the compressorwill yield a high efficiency.

As shown in FIG. 1B, the specific cooling capacity of refrigerationsystem 20A is represented by the length of evaporation line E1 frompoint 6 to point 1. Lines A1 and A2 represent the increased specificcooling capacity due to the addition of the first economizer circuit 25Aand second economizer circuit 25B, respectively. This indicates thatrefrigeration system 20A, which includes two economizer circuits, has alarger specific cooling capacity than a refrigeration system with noeconomizer circuits. Along with the increase in specific coolingcapacity also comes an increase in specific power consumption. Theincrease in specific power consumption is a result of the additionalcompression of the economized flow shown between points 7A and 8A aswell as between points 7B and 8B. However, since the economized vapor iscompressed over a smaller pressure range than the main portion ofrefrigerant, the added compression power is less than the addedcapacity. Therefore, the ratio of capacity to power (the efficiency) isincreased by the addition of the two economizer circuits.

FIG. 2A illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20B ofthe present invention employing three economizer circuits. Refrigerationsystem 20B is similar to refrigeration system 20A, except thatsingle-stage compressor 70 is added to compressor unit 22, and thirdeconomizer circuit 25C is added to the system. Single-stage compressor70 includes cylinder 36E.

In refrigeration system 20B, four distinct refrigerant paths are formedby connection of the various elements in the system. The mainrefrigerant path, the first economized refrigerant path, and the secondeconomized refrigerant path are similar to those described above inreference to FIG. 1A. A third economized refrigerant path is defined bythe route between points 5C, 6C, 7C, and 8C.

In reference to the third economized path, after being cooled in thehigher pressure second economizer heat exchanger 28B, the refrigerant inpath 40B splits into two flow paths 40C and 42C (point 5C). The thirdeconomized path continues along flow path 42C where the refrigerant isthrottled to a lower pressure by economizer expansion valve 30C prior toflowing through third economizer heat exchanger 28C (point 6C). Therefrigerant from path 42C that flowed through third economizer heatexchanger 28C (point 7C) is then directed along economizer return path46C and injected into suction port 72 of single-stage compressor 70 forcompression in single-stage compressor 70. After compression withinsingle-stage compressor 70, the refrigerant is discharged throughdischarge port 74 (point 8C) where it merges with the refrigerantdischarged from two-stage compressor 32 and single-stage compressors 34and 35.

FIG. 2B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system 20B of FIG. 2A. In FIG. 2B, the main refrigerantpath is defined by the route between points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; thefirst economized path is defined by the route between points 5A, 6A, 7A,and 8A; the second economized path is defined by the route betweenpoints 5B, 6B, 7B, and 8B; and the third economized path is defined bythe route between points 5C, 6C, 7C, and 8C. As shown in FIG. 2B,evaporation line E2 of refrigeration system 20B is longer thanevaporation line E1 of refrigeration system 20A (FIG. 1B). Thisindicates that refrigeration system 20B, which includes three economizercircuits, has a larger specific cooling capacity than refrigerationsystem 20A, which includes two economizer circuits. In particular, lineA3 represents the increased specific cooling capacity due to theaddition of the third economizer circuit.

FIG. 3A illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20C ofthe present invention employing four economizer circuits. Refrigerationsystem 20C is similar to refrigeration system 20B, except thatsingle-stage compressor 80 is added to compressor unit 22, and fourtheconomizer circuit 25D is added to the system. Single-stage compressor80 includes cylinder 36F.

In refrigeration system 20C, five distinct refrigerant paths are formedby connection of the various elements in the system. The mainrefrigerant path, the first economized refrigerant path, the secondeconomized refrigerant path, and the third economized refrigerant pathare similar to those described above in reference to FIGS. 1A and 2A. Afourth economized refrigerant path is defined by the route betweenpoints 5D, 6D, 7D, and 8D.

In reference to the fourth economized path, after being cooled in thehigher pressure third economizer heat exchanger 28C, the refrigerant inpath 40C splits into two flow paths 40D and 42D (point 5D). The fourtheconomized path continues along flow path 42D where the refrigerant isthrottled to a lower pressure by economizer expansion valve 30D prior toflowing through fourth economizer heat exchanger 28D (point 6D). Therefrigerant from path 42D that flowed through fourth economizer heatexchanger 28D is then directed along economizer return path 46D (point7D) and injected into suction port 82 of single-stage compressor 80 forcompression in single-stage compressor 80. After compression withinsingle-stage compressor 80 (point 8D), the refrigerant is dischargedthrough discharge port 84 where it merges with the refrigerantdischarged from two-stage compressor 32 and single-stage compressors 34,35, and 70.

FIG. 3B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system 20C of FIG. 3A. In FIG. 3B, the main refrigerantpath is defined by the route between points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; thefirst economized path is defined by the route between points 5A, 6A, 7A,and 8A; the second economized path is defined by the route betweenpoints 5B, 6B, 7B, and 8B; the third economized path is defined by theroute between points 5C, 6C, 7C, and 8C; and the fourth economized pathis defined by the route between points 5D, 6D, 7D, and 8D. As shown inFIG. 3B, evaporation line E3 of refrigeration system 20C is longer thanevaporation line E2 of refrigeration system 20B (FIG. 2B). Thisindicates that refrigeration system 20C, which includes four economizercircuits, has a larger specific cooling capacity than refrigerationsystem 20B, which includes three economizer circuits. In particular,line A4 represents the increased specific cooling capacity due to theaddition of the fourth economizer circuit.

FIG. 4A illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20D ofthe present invention employing five economizer circuits. Refrigerationsystem 20D is similar to refrigeration system 20C, except thatsingle-stage compressor 90 is added to compressor unit 22, and fiftheconomizer circuit 25E is added to the system. Single-stage compressor90 includes cylinder 36G.

In refrigeration system 20D, six distinct refrigerant paths are formedby connection of the various elements in the system. The mainrefrigerant path, the first economized refrigerant path, the secondeconomized refrigerant path, the third economized refrigerant path, andthe fourth economized refrigerant path are similar to those describedabove in reference to FIGS. 1A, 2A, and 3A. A fifth economizedrefrigerant path is defined by the route between points 5E, 6E, 7E, and8E.

In reference to the fifth economized path, after being cooled in thehigher pressure fourth economizer heat exchanger 28D, the refrigerant inpath 40D splits into two flow paths 40E and 42E (point 5E). The fiftheconomized path continues along flow path 42E where the refrigerant isthrottled to a lower pressure by economizer expansion valve 30E prior toflowing through fifth economizer heat exchanger 28E (point 6E). Therefrigerant from path 42E that flowed through fifth economizer heatexchanger 28E is then directed along economizer return path 46E (point7E) and injected into suction port 92 of single-stage compressor 90 forcompression in single-stage compressor 90. After compression withinsingle-stage compressor 90, the refrigerant is discharged throughdischarge port 94 (point 8E) where it merges with the refrigerantdischarged from two-stage compressor 32 and single-stage compressors 34,35, 70, and 80.

FIG. 4B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system 20D of FIG. 4A. In FIG. 4B, the main refrigerantpath is defined by the route between points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; thefirst economized path is defined by the route between points 5A, 6A, 7A,and 8A; the second economized path is defined by the route betweenpoints 5B, 6B, 7B, and 8B; the third economized path is defined by theroute between points 5C, 6C, 7C, and 8C; the fourth economized path isdefined by the route between points 5D, 6D, 7D, and 8D; and the fiftheconomized path is defined by the route between points 5E, 6E, 7E, and8E. As shown in FIG. 4B, evaporation line E4 of refrigeration system 20Dis longer than evaporation line E3 of refrigeration system 20C (FIG.3B). This indicates that refrigeration system 20D, which includes fiveeconomizer circuits, has a larger specific cooling capacity thanrefrigeration system 20C, which includes four economizer circuits. Inparticular, line A5 represents the increased specific cooling capacitydue to the addition of the fifth economizer circuit.

FIG. 5A illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20E ofthe present invention employing two economizer circuits. Refrigerationsystem 20E is similar to and an alternative embodiment of refrigerationsystem 20A. In refrigeration system 20E, intercooler 48 has been removedand two-stage compressor 32 has been replaced by single-stage compressor100. Single-stage compressor 100 includes cylinder 36H.

In refrigeration system 20E, three distinct refrigerant paths are formedby connection of the various elements in the system. A main refrigerantpath is defined by the route between points 1, 2, 3, and 4. A firsteconomized refrigerant path is defined by the route between points 3A,4A, 5A, and 6A. Finally, a second economized refrigerant path is definedby the route between points 3B, 4B, 5B, and 6B.

In reference to the main refrigerant path, after refrigerant exitssingle-stage compressor 100 at high pressure and enthalpy throughdischarge port 104 (point 2), the refrigerant loses heat in heatrejecting heat exchanger 24, exiting heat rejecting heat exchanger 24 atlow enthalpy and high pressure (point 3A). The refrigerant then splitsinto two flow paths 40A and 42A prior to entering first economizer heatexchanger 28A. The main path continues along paths 40A and 40B throughfirst economizer heat exchanger 28A (point 3B) and second economizerheat exchanger 28B (point 3), respectively. As the refrigerant in path40A flows through first economizer heat exchanger 28A, it is cooled bythe refrigerant in path 42A of the first economized path. Similarly, asthe refrigerant in path 40B flows through second economizer heatexchanger 28B, it is cooled by the refrigerant in path 42B of the secondeconomized path.

Refrigerant from path 40B is then throttled in main expansion valve 26.After going through an expansion process within main expansion valve 26(point 4), the refrigerant is a two-phase liquid-vapor mixture and isdirected toward evaporator 27. After evaporation of the remainder of theliquid (point 1), the refrigerant enters single-stage compressor 100through suction port 102. The refrigerant is then compressed withincylinder 36H and discharged through discharge port 104 (point 2).

In reference to the first economized path, after refrigerant exits heatrejecting heat exchanger 24 at low enthalpy and high pressure (point 3A)and splits into two flow paths 40A and 42A, the first economized pathcontinues along path 42A. In path 42A, the refrigerant is throttled to alower pressure by economizer expansion valve 30A (point 4A) prior toflowing through first economizer heat exchanger 28A. The refrigerantfrom path 42A that flowed through first economizer heat exchanger 28A(point 5A) is then directed along economizer return path 46A andinjected into suction port 52 of single-stage compressor 34 forcompression in single-stage compressor 34. After compression withinsingle-stage compressor 34, the refrigerant is discharged throughdischarge port 54 (point 6A) where it merges with the refrigerantdischarged from single-stage compressors 100 and 35.

In reference to the second economized path, after being cooled in thehigher pressure first economizer heat exchanger 28A (point 3B), therefrigerant in path 40A splits into two flow paths 40B and 42B. Thesecond economized path continues along flow path 42B where therefrigerant is throttled to a lower pressure by economizer expansionvalve 30B (point 4B) prior to flowing through second economizer heatexchanger 28B. The refrigerant from path 42B that flowed through secondeconomizer heat exchanger 28B (point 5B) is then directed alongeconomizer return path 46B and injected into suction port 56 ofsingle-stage compressor 35 for compression in single-stage compressor35. After compression within single-stage compressor 35, the refrigerantis discharged through discharge port 58 (point 6B) where it merges withthe refrigerant discharged from single-stage compressors 34 and 100.

FIG. 5B illustrates a graph relating enthalpy to pressure for therefrigeration system 20E of FIG. 5A. In FIG. 5B, the main refrigerantpath is defined by the route between points 1, 2, 3, and 4; the firsteconomized path is defined by the route between points 3A, 4A, 5A, and6A; and the second economized path is defined by the route betweenpoints 3B, 4B, 5B, and 6B.

As shown in FIG. 5B, the specific cooling capacity of refrigerationsystem 20E is represented by the length of evaporation line E5 frompoint 4 to point 1. Lines A1′ and A2′ represent the increased specificcooling capacity due to the addition of first economizer circuit 25A andsecond economizer circuit 25B, respectively. When compared withevaporation line E1 of FIG. 1B, evaporation line E5 is substantiallyequivalent in length to evaporation line E1. This indicates thatrefrigeration system 20E has a specific cooling capacity that issubstantially equivalent to the specific cooling capacity ofrefrigeration system 20A. Thus, a two-stage compressor and anintercooler may be replaced by a single-stage compressor in arefrigeration system such as that shown in FIG. 1A without a substantialchange in specific cooling capacity. It should be noted that althoughrefrigeration system 20E is shown as a modified version of refrigerationsystem 20A, refrigeration systems 20B, 20C, and 20D may also be modifiedin the same manner without a substantial change in specific coolingcapacity.

FIG. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20A′,which is an alternative embodiment of refrigeration system 20A. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 6, first economizer heat exchanger 28A′ andsecond economizer heat exchanger 28B′ comprise flash tanks. Thus, asused in refrigeration system 20A′, flash tanks are an alternative typeof heat exchanger. As stated previously, in the embodiment shown in FIG.1A, first and second economizer heat exchangers 28A and 28B are parallelflow tube-in-tube heat exchangers. However, parallel flow tube-in-tubeheat exchangers may be replaced with flash tank type heat exchangers, asdepicted in FIG. 6, without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of refrigeration system 20A″,which is another alternative embodiment of refrigeration system 20A. Inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 7, first economizer heat exchanger 28A″ andsecond economizer heat exchanger 28B″ form a brazed plate heatexchanger. However, substituting a brazed plate heat exchanger forparallel flow tube-in-tube heat exchangers does not substantially affectthe overall system efficiency. Thus, a refrigeration system using abrazed plate heat exchanger is also within the intended scope of thepresent invention.

In addition to the parallel flow tube-in-tube heat exchangers, flashtanks, and brazed plate heat exchangers, numerous other heat exchangersmay be used for the economizers without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. The list of alternative heat exchangersincludes, but is not limited to, counter-flow tube-in-tube heatexchangers, parallel flow shell-in-tube heat exchangers, andcounter-flow shell-in-tube heat exchangers.

Although the refrigeration system of the present invention is useful toincrease system efficiency in a system using any type of refrigerant, itis especially useful in refrigeration systems that utilize transcriticalrefrigerants, such as carbon dioxide. Because carbon dioxide is such alow critical temperature refrigerant, refrigeration systems using carbondioxide typically run transcritical. Furthermore, because carbon dioxideis such a high pressure refrigerant, there is more opportunity toprovide multiple pressure steps between the high and low pressureportions of the circuit to include multiple economizers, each of whichcontributes to increase the efficiency of the system. Thus, the presentinvention may be used to increase the efficiency of systems utilizingtranscritical refrigerants such as carbon dioxide, making theirefficiency comparable to that of typical refrigerants. However, therefrigeration system of the present invention is useful to increase theefficiency in systems using any refrigerant, including those that runsubcritical as well as those that run transcritical.

While the alternative embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed as including a number of economizer circuits ranging from twoto five, it should be understood that a refrigeration system with morethan five economizer circuits is within the intended scope of thepresent invention. Furthermore, the economizer circuits may be connectedto the compressors in various other combinations without decreasingsystem efficiency. Thus, refrigeration systems that utilize a greaternumber of economizer circuits or connect the economizer circuits invarious other combinations are within the intended scope of the presentinvention.

Although the present invention has been described with reference topreferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made in form and detail without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

1. A refrigeration system comprising: an evaporator; a plurality ofcompressors for compressing a refrigerant, each of the compressorshaving a suction port and a discharge port; a heat rejecting heatexchanger for cooling the refrigerant; and a plurality of economizerheat exchangers, wherein each of the economizer heat exchangers isconfigured to inject a portion of the refrigerant into the suction portof one of the compressors.
 2. The refrigeration system of claim 1,wherein one of the compressors is a two-stage compressor having a firstcompressor cylinder and a second compressor cylinder.
 3. Therefrigeration system of claim 2, wherein an intercooler is disposedbetween the first and second compressor cylinders of the two-stagecompressor to cool the refrigerant prior to a second stage ofcompression.
 4. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein each of thecompressors is a single-stage compressor.
 5. The refrigeration system ofclaim 1, wherein the discharge port of each of the compressors isconnected to the heat rejecting heat exchanger.
 6. The refrigerationsystem of claim 1, wherein the heat rejecting heat exchanger is acondenser.
 7. The refrigeration system of claim 1, wherein the heatrejecting heat exchanger is a gas cooler.
 8. The refrigeration system ofclaim 1, wherein the refrigerant is carbon dioxide.
 9. The refrigerationsystem of claim 1, wherein the plurality of compressors is part of asingle, multi-cylinder compressor unit.
 10. The refrigeration system ofclaim 1, wherein the economizer heat exchangers are flash tanks.
 11. Arefrigeration system comprising: an evaporator; a two-stage compressorfor compressing a refrigerant, the two-stage compressor having a firstcompressor cylinder and a second compressor cylinder; a firstsingle-stage compressor for compressing the refrigerant, the firstsingle-stage compressor having a suction port and a discharge port; asecond single-stage compressor for compressing the refrigerant, thesecond single-stage compressor having a suction port and a dischargeport; a heat rejecting heat exchanger for cooling the refrigerant; afirst economizer circuit configured to inject a first portion of therefrigerant into the suction port of the first single-stage compressor;and a second economizer circuit configured to inject a second portion ofthe refrigerant into the suction port of the second single-stagecompressor.
 12. The refrigeration system of claim 11, wherein therefrigerant is carbon dioxide.
 13. The refrigeration system of claim 11,wherein the two-stage compressor, the first single-stage compressor, andthe second single-stage compressor are part of a single, multi-cylindercompressor unit.
 14. The refrigeration system of claim 11, wherein anintercooler is disposed between the first compressor cylinder and thesecond compressor cylinder to cool the refrigerant between a first stageof compression and a second stage of compression.
 15. The refrigerationsystem of claim 14, and further comprising: a third single-stagecompressor having a suction port and a discharge port; and a thirdeconomizer circuit configured to inject a third portion of therefrigerant into the suction port of the third single-stage compressor.16. The refrigeration system of claim 15, and further comprising: afourth single-stage compressor having a suction port and a dischargeport; and a fourth economizer circuit configured to inject a fourthportion of the refrigerant into the suction port of the fourthsingle-stage compressor.
 17. The refrigeration system of claim 16, andfurther comprising: a fifth single-stage compressor having a suctionport and a discharge port; and a fifth economizer circuit configured toinject a fifth portion of the refrigerant into the suction port of thefifth single-stage compressor.
 18. A method of operating a refrigerationsystem, the method comprising: evaporating a refrigerant; compressingthe refrigerant from a lower pressure to a higher pressure in aplurality of compressors, the plurality of compressors including atwo-stage compressor and at least two single-stage compressors, whereinthe two-stage compressor includes an intercooler configured to cool therefrigerant between a first stage of compression and a second stage ofcompression; cooling the refrigerant in a heat rejecting heat exchanger;directing the refrigerant through a plurality of economizer heatexchangers each having a main path and an economized path; injecting afirst portion of the refrigerant from the economized path of one of theeconomizer heat exchangers into a suction port of one of thesingle-stage compressors; and injecting a second portion of therefrigerant from the economized path of another one of the economizerheat exchangers into a suction port of another one of the single-stagecompressors.
 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the refrigerant iscarbon dioxide.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the compressors arepart of a single, multi-cylinder compressor unit.